Page 68 of The Sunken Truth

“Here it is,” he said, indicating the kitchen island, which was covered in newspaper. On top of the paper sat a small, slightly battered, silver box.

“What are the letters?” Flynn asked, moving closer and trying to make out the markings on the lid.

“These are my grandfather’s initials.” Eustace moved beside Lily and the smell of wood smoke filled her nostrils. “WGT - William George Tremayne.”

For a moment, the room fell silent.

“Where did you get this?” Flynn asked.

“Someone brought it to me yesterday.”

“Who?”

“I promised I’d keep their name out of it.”

Lily couldn’t take her eyes off the box. “This proves the ship is theFortune,” she said, feeling oddly emotional that theship they’d been diving around really was the one that sank more than a century ago.

“Yes.”

Flynn straightened his spine, his full height making his words carry more weight. “I need you to tell me who brought this to you. And what you gave them in return.”

“I gave him two thousand pounds. He seemed pleased with that.”

“Who did?” Flynn asked.

“I promised I wouldn’t say.”

“Whoever brought it to you endangered someone’s life to get their hands on it,” Flynn said. “I’m going to have toinsistyou give me a name.”

Lily rolled her eyes.As though insisting would work.

“Fine,” Eustace said. “If it’s a police matter, I suppose it would be wrong for me not to share the information. It was that Australian guy – Kurt. I don’t know his surname.”

“Thank you,” Flynn said, while Lily felt a buzz of pride at his approach to getting information.

Studying his profile, an unexpected flurry of butterflies quivered through her stomach. She also got a rush of triumph that they’d found out who’d sabotaged Ryan.

“Could I get you a drink?” Eustace asked.

“No, thank you,” Flynn said. “You realise that buying and selling archaeological artefacts is a crime.”

“I didn’t buy it from him,” Eustace said, eyes sparkling. “He brought it to me. And then in an entirely separate transaction, I gave him a gift of two thousand pounds.”

“And those two things were unrelated?” Flynn asked, with one eyebrow hitched.

“Absolutely.”

“If you say so,” Flynn said dryly. “We’ll leave you to it.”

At the door, he thanked him again for his cooperation.

“It was Kurt then,” Lily said excitedly while they walked along the lane at a good pace. “You figured it out. I hope the superintendent will be impressed.”

A muscle in Flynn’s jaw twitched. “I need to speak to Kurt. Hopefully he’ll admit to what he did. I still have no proof it was him who cut Ryan’s hose.”

Lily inhaled a lungful of salty air, pondering everything. “You’re right. And it still doesn’t fully add up. Benji said he had his eyes on Kurt when Ryan’s hose was cut.”

Flynn pulled out his phone. “I’m going to ask PC Hill to keep an eye out for Kurt at the harbour.”